Ragged Souls
by Ryoko Ishida
Summary: Ryoko, a six year old girl, is plunged into the Soul Society, a peaceful place for Souls to live. She had lost everything that day. Her family, her brother, her life... But now she can start fresh with a new family and be a Soul Reaper! However, when they find that she is more than what they expected, Ryoko must chose to side with either the Soul Society, or betray everyone.
1. Well That Escalated Quickly

Chapter 1: Well That Escalated Quickly: Say Goodbye

"Mommy, Daddy, Where are we going?" Ryoko sat in the back of the car, looking out at the trees that they pass.

"We're going to that festival you wanted to go to, remember?" Her mother looked back at her through the rear-view mirror, a smile on her face.

"Really?!" Ryoko beamed. The festival was the biggest event in the summer. It opens on the last few weeks of school, and has rides, games, and a lot of rare foods! "I thought daddy said I couldn't go!"

Her father looked back at her. "It's the last day of summer for you. I might as well give this to you. Besides, you've been very sad lately." He looked back to the front again, his voice calm and monotone as usual.

She smiled happily and looked in the direction of the festival. "Thank you." She said calmly. She couldn't wait. She was just about to start second grade, and she's finally able to go to the festival she'd dreamt of going to. Ryoko rolled down her window and closed her eyes as the wind blew back her long, dark blue hair. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes and thought for a moment before turning toward her parents once again. "Um… Why isn't Uryu coming?"

"He's busy training with your grandfather, and said he didn't want to go." Her father replied.

"Oh…" She said, "Okay." She looked out the window again in deep thought. She knew her father was a quincy, and she also knew her brother had been training to harness that power. She, however, was unable to have those powers. She tried and tried, time after time, but every single time, nothing happened. She finally gave up, saddened. Her brother could do it, why couldn't she? She was only a few years younger than him… she didn't understand it. And she hated it. But despite that, she still had a good relationship with Uryu.

Suddenly, everything around Ryoko went black. She couldn't see, but she could hear a sound… _What's that sound?_ She thought, _It sounds like… It sounds like a car and… fire!_ Her eyes were closed, and she wasn't able to wake up, but she could hear someone yelling. It was faint, though.

"…ko! …oko…! Ryoko!" Her father yelled for her and looked at the flaming upside-down car, his arm shielding his eyes from the flames. His body had patches of third degree burns on his arms, legs, and face. He was the first to make it out, and the only one. He ran to the car and broke the window next to Ryoko, and pulled her out. As soon as he grabbed her, he shielded her with his own body as the car exploded. He looked down at Ryoko, then picked her up and ran to the other side of the road and hid in the trees. He looked down at Ryoko. "Ryoko! Wake up, Ryoko!" He shook her lightly, then violently, hoping she would wake up.

Ryoko laid unconscious, half of her body completely burned and bleeding. Her left arm had no skin on it, just embers and burns. Finally, after three minutes, she finally woke up, opening her eyes faintly. One of her eyes was different. Instead of the usual light blue, it was red with the white part of the eye black. She looked up at her father. "F….a….th….er…." Her voice was shattered, barely audible and cracking up everywhere. "It… hurts…." Tears swelled up in her eyes, which only made them burn intensely. She cried out, tears streaming down her face.

"Shh…" He replied in a calm voice. However, he didn't know what to do. An ambulance should arrive soon, but he didn't know how much time Ryoko had left. Even if the ambulance did come when she was still alive, she has a 3% chance of surviving this. Her little body couldn't handle this much damage, that much he knew. He knew it all too well. "Stay with me. Don't close your eyes, Ryoko." His voice was calm, but was quivering as well. She looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"It… hurts….. da….ddy….." She groaned in pain, her voice much weaker. "M-make…. it…. s-st…op…." At this point, the burns on her started to move to the spots where she still had skin, and started eating those up as well. However, she could feel nothing. No pain, no sadness, just nothing. Her tears stopped, and she stared at her father, one eye wide, her bad eye twitching slightly. The last sounds she heard was the ambulance's sirens blaring, rushing toward them.

"Ryoko?"

No response.

"Ryoko?!"

No response..

"RYOKO!"

…Silence…


	2. Where Am I?

Chapter Two: Where am I?

Ryoko slowly opened her eye slightly and looked around. Her eyes widened and she sat up quickly. She was in a forest, and she was sitting in the middle of a path. It seemed as though she was alone.

She slowly stood up and looked around once more, scared and confused. "M-m-mommy…?" She whispered, trembling and hugging herself. "D….daddy?" She started walking in a random direction. She didn't know where she was going, but she didn't care since she was completely lost. All she wanted was to be back in her house with her brother and parents. Tears formed on the edges of her face, and she hugged herself tighter, feeling the breeze on her body. When she looked down to where the air felt coolest, she realized there were scars on her body from the fire. Her eyes widened at the sight. "MOMMY! DADDY!" She screamed. No answer.

She took another step before hearing some bushes move around. She turned to the bush and smiled. "Mommy?" What emerged from the bushes was not her mother nor her father. It was in actuality some thugs who cornered her.

"Well now, what do we have here?" One of the thugs said, his voice slurring. He had a bald head, and his clothes looked like a checkered tablecloth. Ryoko took a few steps back before bumping into another thug. When she tried to run, he grabbed her and gripped her tightly, making her scars burn.

"Seems to me like this girl must have pretty high Spiritual Pressure. Eh, Ratsel?" He looked toward the bushes, and a man dressed in a black shikakusho appears from behind it, a smug grin on his face.

"Indeed." Ratsel said, "I never expected to find someone like her when I felt that spike of reiatsu." Ryoko stared at him in complete shock. _What's reiatsu?_ She thought. She looked down toward his waist and froze. A sword. What was he doing with a sword?!

He caught her staring at it, and unsheathed it, pointing it at her. "Do you like it?" He smirked. "This is my zanpakuto. I hope you like it, because it will be the last thing you see." He walks up to her. "That power of yours… will soon be mine." Ryoko's eyes widened as he raises his zanpakuto.

"Hado #73: Sōren Sōkatsui!"

Suddenly, two balls of blue fire shot at Ratsel from the left. "Tch!" He jumped back out of the way at the last second, landing a few feet from where he was standing before. He turned toward where the Hado came from, and his eyes instantly narrowed in anger. "You're… Captain Ukitake!" Ryoko quickly looked over at a tall man with white hair. He was wearing the same thing as Ratsel, but he was wearing a white haori over it. Ryoko trembled in the thug's hands.

Ukitake walked toward Ratsel as multiple people run out behind him and surround the thugs, all of them in a shikakusho. "Former Squad 13 Third-seat, Ratsel Higumorri, you are under arrest."

Ryoko stares at Ukitake in shock, as did Ratsel. "Do you really think you can stop me?!" He yelled, and ran toward Ukitake, urging all the thugs (minus the one holding Ryoko) to follow him. A couple men appeared suddenly in front of Ratsel, and they both stabbed him. Ryoko screamed and tried to run, but the thug held her close. Ratsel turned toward the thug, blood coming out of the side of his mouth. "K-kill the damn girl!"

The thug smirked and took out a knife, holding it to Ryoko's throat. Ryoko started to cry as the blade drew a little blood. She looked at where Ukitake stands, her expression begging for help. She blinked, and her eyes widened when Ukitake suddenly disappeared, and the knife was not at her throat anymore. She turned around and saw Ukitake standing there with his sword through the thug's chest. She took a look around and saw all the other thugs were killed as well. Ukitake took a couple steps toward her, and she quickly tuned to him and backed away, tears still flowing out of her eyes.

"Hey, it's okay. I won't hurt you." Ukitake held out his hand and knelt down, a kind smile on his face.

She took another step back, but then stopped. "Y-you're not… g-going to hurt me…?"

"Of course not." He replied.

Ryoko took a couple cautious steps toward him until she was right in front of him. *sniffle*

He put a hand on her head and gently rubbed it. "Well now, you seem to be pretty strong. Your Spiritual Pressure is phenomenal for a small child like yourself."

_Spiritual Pressure… That thing those guys talked about before…_ "W-what's Spi-ri-tu-al Pre-ssure…?" She had to sound out the phrase, since it was kind of hard to say. "A-and what are you…?"

"My name is Jūshirō Ukitake, the captain of Squad 13 in the Sereitei."

"S-Se-rei-tei?" She said, still kind of struggling.

He nodded. "Yes. It's where Soul Reapers live. They help souls like you find there way into the Soul Society."

"O-oh…" She frowned, then looked around. "Where's mommy and daddy?"

"I'm not sure." He paused for a moment. "What's your name?"

She looked at him. "R-Ryoko… Ishida…"

"Well now," He said, standing up. "Would you like to come with me to the Sereitei? You seem very capable, and the Sereitei is a safe place for you." His smile remained on his face, showing no signs of hostility, and his eyes were very soft.

She looked up at him as he stood up. Pausing for a minute, she thought to herself. She had no family anymore, and she didn't know anyone here other than Captain Ukitake. She smiled happily and nodded. "Okay…" She gripped the sleeve of his haori tightly, and stood close to him.

He looked down at her. "Hold on tightly, okay?" With that, he started moving very quickly, almost making her lose her grip when Ukitake held her tightly so she wouldn't fall back. Ryoko looked back at the forest, thinking about those thugs and that "Soul Reaper". Then she looked around her and Ukitake. The other Soul Reapers that she saw with him were around them, though most of them were behind. Even though she knew for a fact they saved her, she was still scared that they would try and kill her. After a few minutes, they all stopped at a large gate. Ryoko looks up at the large gate, and the gatekeeper in front of it. The Gatekeeper saw Ukitake then turned and grabbed the gate, hoisting it up after a few grunts. Ukitake smiled and looked at Ryoko. "Well, Ryoko, here we are. Welcome to your new home."


	3. Gotei 13

Chapter Three - Gotei 13

Ryoko stood in the doorway, eyes wide in shock. Everything looked old, but not old either. The many square houses being made of stone, with orange, tipped roofs. In the middle if the houses, far away, were very large circular pillars and towers. She assumed that it's where the important people might be. She turned to her left, seeing the Sogyoku Hill slightly. From her angle, the area seemed much larger than it really is. She looked up at Captain Ukitake for a moment, then looking forward once more. She jumped when she saw a couple Soul Reapers rush toward them.

"Captain Ukitake!" They shouted. Ryoko quickly hid behind said Captain and gripped the back of his haori tightly. These men had the same outfit as the one who had attacked her, making her frightened. She still didn't know whether they could be trusted r not, but the Captain seemed just fine around them. "Did you get the rogue?" One asked as they stopped in front of him.

"Yes," He replied, then looked back at Ryoko and smiled. "Don't worry, they won't hurt you."

She looked up at Ukitake then nodded, slowly moving halfway out of hiding, but still holing onto the haori.

The two looked at her in confusion. "Captain, why did you bring a little girl here?" The other one asked, very confused.

"This is Ryoko. She was attacked by the rogue. She only has a few minor injuries, but I still want to have her checked by Captain Unohana." He said briefly, then he started to walk to said person's Squad, Squad 4, with Ryoko right behind him. Many of the Reapers they passed though it was cute. Almost like the Captain had his own Yachiru. They kept walking for a bit, the area around them staying the same, and many Soul Reapers they passed turned and bowed to them. She looked up at Ukitake, thinking.

_Why are they bowing? Is it because of this man?_

As she looked forward, the little girl saw a very strange sight: a man with the same clothes as Ukitake, but he had a weird floral pink kimono over it as well as a straw hat on him. He walked toward them with a smile on his face.

"Hey Jushiro!" He called out, waving to the Captain as he stopped in front of him. "How's it going? I suspect the mission was a success?"

"Yes. He wasn't as strong as we had thought, though."

"Ah, that's because you're a captain and he wasn't even a 10th seat. Ol' Man Yama went too far with sending you out." it was then the man realized a hand clenching Ukitake's arm. "Huh? What's this?"

"This is Ryoko. I saved her from the rogue. Although…" He turned to the little blue-haired Yachiru, "I guess it must have startled her to see others wearing a Soul Reaper uniform."

The man chuckled, then knelt down. "Hey, don't be scared. The people in this place are very nice and wouldn't hurt you."

Ryoko looked at the man before slowly inching toward him, tilting her head slightly, but her head also tilted down ever so slightly. "…You look weird." She said suddenly, catching the man off guard.

"Hey now, that isn't very nice to say to someone you barely met…" He exclaimed, holding out his hand for a handshake. "My name is Captain Shunshui Kyoraku. It's nice to meet you." Instead of shaking his hand, though, she went back to Ukitake. Shunsui frowned for a moment then stood and looked at his Captain friend. "Uh, you may need to take her to Captain Unohana. Her neck is bleeding."

Ukitake's eyes widened and he turned to see that he was right: Ryoko's neck was bleeding from the cut she received, and it opened a bit more as she looked up to the Captain each time. He could see she was starting to get light headed. "Oh no." He picked the child up carefully in his arms and looked at Shunsui before using Shunpo to get to the gate of Squad 4. There, he stopped, but still held the girl firmly, but not enough to hurt her. The gates opened, showing a woman with short silver hair, with some strands of long hair, and she looked like the other Soul Reapers with the exception of a badge on her arm. She looked alarmed.

"Captain Ukitake! What's the matt—" She started.

Ukitake cut her off. "This girl is hurt. I'll fill you in later Lieutenant, but right now I'd rather this girl doesn't die via cut in the throat."

The Lieutenant simply nodded then turned and started walking quickly. "I'll show you to her room."

They got to the room and Ukitake set her down. She, of course, was slightly confused by this. All of this was happening so fast… Her little mind couldn't process it all. "Do not worry, Ryoko." He smiles reassuringly. "Captain Unohana is very nice and is going to help you, okay?" The girl nodded and lied down. By now, she lost a good amount of blood, and was feeling really light headed. She looked toward the door in front of her, and saw the Lieutenant talking with another Soul Reaper without a badge or a white haori, but couldn't quite make out what she was saying. The man then left, and the woman turned to talk to Captain Ukitake. She tried to keep her eyes open even slightly, but her eyelids grew heavier and heavier every second. Yeah she had a small cut, but the more she had moved the neck, the more it opened and the more blood spilled. She closed her eyes to take her mind off the spinning room. She was scared, too. She understood that the cut was is one of the worst spots to get cut. But why hadn't they noticed before that she was bleeding? Then again, the Captain didn't look down and inspect it. He must have thought the cut wasn't that deep. But that doesn't explain her ignorance of it. She was taught by her father on things like this… and from what he said, a cut to the throat should have killed her. But she was already dead, she thought… At lest, that would explain something… maybe? How does that work? All these questions flooded her mind making her even dizzier. She started losing consciousness. But before she lost consciousness, she saw something in the void of darkness that was sweeping her away. She didn't understand what it was. It was a blur, and it was very distant. The 'thing' roared loudly, like a tiger's roar. Suddenly she felt hot, a wave of heat washing over her and making her sweat slightly. Blue flames erupted around the white and blue dot, and it roared again. But this time, when it roared it sent a huge wave of flames toward her. They got dangerously close… then she fell unconscious. Completely unaware of the conversation taking place outside of her mind.

**Hey guys! Sorry this chapter went kinda fast. (At least I think it did, but I didn't know how to "slow it down".) But yeah. Hope you guys like it! OwO And if anyone wants to give me **_**constructive criticism**_**, then I**

**m all ears! Thanks!**


	4. Blue Fire

Chapter Four - Blue Fire

"_Captain Unohana, is she going to be fine?"_

"_Yes. Though she's lost some blood, she will be okay. Thankfully, the cut was not too deep. You seemed to have brought her here not a moment too late."_

_Who is he talking to…?_ Ryoko thought. The voices seemed a bit muffled, but she could make out one of them. But the other… it sounded like a woman. She slowly opened her eyes slightly, staring out the ceiling. She let out a small groan, getting the attention of the two Captains in the room. Captain Ukitake was standing between the bed and the door, and was facing a woman with a long, thick, black braid in front of her body, who was sitting in a chair next to the bed. The woman had a kind smile and soft eyes, which made her feel slightly relieved as she turned to face said Captain.

"Oh, you're awake." Unohana said softly. "That's good."

Ryoko slowly sat up, putting her hand on her throat, feeling a bandage wrapped around it. She then looked down at her left arm and saw it was completely wrapped in bandages.

"Captain Ukitake told us about what happened, but didn't mention your arm. What happened to it?"

She frowned and looked down. Her throat burned slightly, but she took a breath and spoke anyways. "F-fire…"

"Fire?" Ukitake wonders, slightly confused. "What fire?"

"Th-there was a b-big fire… Daddy got me o-out of the fire… but I couldn't f-find mommy…" She looked at her arm. "I was hurt bad… and I closed my eyes… When I woke up… mommy and daddy were g-gone…" She frowned sadly and a few tears formed.

It was dead silent for a moment, before Unohana turned to Ukitake. "Captain…" She started.

He nodded. "Yeah. We need to talk to the Head Captain about this." He walked toward Ryoko and smiled. "Don't worry about it, Ryoko. For now, Captain Unohana will take care of you." She nods, and he turns and walks out.

Unohana turned to her. "You should get some sleep." She stood up. "I'll come back in about an hour to check on you. There's some food and water on the table next to you if you need it." With that, the Captain left. Ryoko sat there for a minute, looking down sadly.

_Mommy… Daddy… These people are nice… but… I miss you…_ Tears flow down her cheeks. She then laid back on the bed and closed her eyes, drifting off into another sleep.

When she opened her eyes again, she wasn't in her room. She looked around, but only saw one thing: fire. Blue fire. It was everywhere, yet she wasn't being burned by it. There were houses and trees surrounding the area, but they were being destroyed by the fire. Her eyes were wide in shock. "_W-what's going on?!"_ She screamed and knelt down, holding her head and keeping her eyes closed tightly. After a second of hearing the fire crackle, she heard a loud roar. The same roar she heard before. That made her jump. She got to her feet and started running as fast as she could. She ran passed multiple burned down trees and houses, turning her head to check if that 'thing' was following her. Sure enough, it was. She ran faster, but it was catching up to her. _"Someone… anyone! HELP!"_

Ryoko woke up with jolt, immediately sitting up, her head hung, breathing heavily. Her throat started to hurt again, and she put a hand on it once more. She heard a whisper in her head and her eyes widened. "W-who's there?" She mumbled, looking around and shaking. She looked down and jumped again, seeing a small blue flame in the palm of her hand. "What… is this…?" She said. The fire then spread in a thin line toward the window. She pushed the blankets off herself, and slowly stood up and walked to the window. When she opened it, the fire keeps moving like a rope off into the distance. "T-this… feeling…"

-SQUAD 1-

"What do you mean, she retained her memories?" The Head Captain boomed. "That's impossible!"

Ukitake stood facing all the other Captains. "She had markings on the left side of her body, and she told us it was due to the injuries she had when she died." He explained again. "Though not in complete detail, she explained that her father was able to take her away from a big fire, but her mother was nowhere to be seen. These flames must have damaged the left half of her, and gave her the scars."

Everyone took in the information. Something like this hadn't happened before, and it shocked even Mayuri. A 6 year old girl able to retain her life's memories.

"Well now, this is quite a development." Mayuri said, a hand on his chin in thought. "I would like to ask this girl some questions."

"We must not disturb her right now. She is still recovering." Unohana stated, looking at Mayuri.

"Even if she was alright, she'd probably be terrified out of her mind if she saw you." Toshiro, the albino midget, stated matter-of-factly. He had his arms crossed and his eyes closed.

"Enough." The Head Captain said, silencing them all. "We will keep this girl under surveillance. Is there anything to add?"

"There is one thing I discovered about her Spiritual Energy." Unohana state calmly, looking at the Head Captain. "I am uncertain why, but it seems as though there's a hidden power inside of it. It might not have been unlocked while she was alive because she was only a little girl, but she had a large amount of Spiritual Pressure. It doesn't rival any of us captains, but it is at least 3rd-Seat level, maybe even Lieutenant."

This really caught everyone off guard. How the hell does she have that much energy in such a small body?! Something was off, and everyone knew it.

"Captain Ukitake."

"Yes, Head Captain?"

"You are to keep an eye on Ryoko. You will help train her to control that power."

"Of course. I wi—"

Suddenly, both of the doors to the office sprung open, showing Lieutenant Kotetsu, breathing hard.

"What is the meaning of this, Lieutenant?"

"Forgive me, Head Captain, but something's wrong." She said, a worried look on her face. "Ryoko's gone!"

Ukitake and Unohana's eyes widened.

-RYOKO-

Ryoko ran through the Seritei toward a large mountain, the Sokyoku Hill. She looked up at the large area. "What is this place?" She stopped and watched the blue flames hit the side of the hill, then shoot up. She sighed and frowned, before running up the stairs to the top. Her left leg was starting to hurt, but she just ignored it and kept going. She couldn't stop. Whatever the flames were, they wanted them to be followed by her. She knew that… possibly. She finally reached the top, barely able to stand. She rested against one of the trees on top of the hill. Her throat burned even more now that she was breathing heavily, and her left leg was shaking. She was scared… no… terrified. What if the others found her? She'd be in big trouble!

Suddenly, she heard the roar same one from her dreams. She had no clue what that meant, but she knew it was important somehow. She tried to stand, but ended up falling back to the ground, her left leg now refusing to move. "Gah!" She yelped in pain. She looked forward at two large poles connected, or used to be connected, by another pole. She sighed, unable to move. She looked at her leg, propping herself up against a tree. "N-not good… Ngh!" She winced in pain as she tried to touch it. Tears start forming in her eyes.

-UKITAKE-

Ukitake rushes back to Ryoko's room in Squad 4 and he slams open the door. "Ryoko!" He sees she's gone, but the window's open.

"Oh no…" Unohana frowned. "Her body had yet to heal. Who knows where she is…"

"Captains?" Kotetsu said, her hands folded in front of her. "I saw a trail of blue fire coming from this room. When I went to check, she wasn't-"

"Blue… fire? Where was she going?" Ukitake asked, looking at Kotetsu.

She nodded, looking very worried. "It was headed toward Sokyoku Hill."

Both captains looked confused. "Why would she go to Sokyoku Hill of all places? That doesn't make any sense."

"Well we need to find her quickly and return her. If she moves too much, her leg would collapse. Those scars run deep into her leg."

"Damn…" Ukitake growled then looked at the room, noticing burn marks leading out of the window and through the Sereitei. "Unohana."

"I'll come with you. Kotetsu, take care of the patients while I'm gone. I will be back shortly."

"Of course!"

"Alright, Ukitake. Let's go."

-RYOKO-

With that, the two Captains went to find Ryoko, who was started to slip unconscious. Her head was spinning. She didn't know where she was now. She was so confused. She hated being confused. She started to cry, and thought about how her brother would handle this situation. Easy. He wouldn't _be _in this situation. He's too smart for that. As she started to close her eyes, she saw something. A light. There was something shining in the forest. She looked around for the flames, but realized there were none. Maybe she was just imagining it… But she decided to go to the shine. She practically crawled over toward it. If she tried to get up, she'd just end up falling again and get another injury for Captain Unohana to heal. As she crawled over, she realized what it was.

A sword.


	5. Confusion?

Chapter Five - Confusion?

Ukitake and Unohana rushed toward the Sokyoku Hill as fast as their Shunpo could go. They were as confused as ever. Why would she, out of all the places in the Sereitei, go to _that_ place?! Ukitake looked at Unohana as she trailed behind him. Though she didn't show it, he could tell she was worried for the child's safety. He sighed, turning forward. His eyes widened as he felt a large surge of Spiritual Pressure at the top of Sogyoku Hill.

"Captain." Unohana said, alarmed.

"Yes, I felt it." He said, phased. _That Spiritual Pressure… It felt like—_ He shook his head quickly to clear his head as the surge died down, and they rushed up the hill. They landed and looked around. "What the…?" Ukitake whispered. The spiritual pressure had vanished completely.

The two captains looked around, the only thing they could see being the trees. "We will split up here." The female Captain said. "It will be easier to find her."

"Right." He nodded. "Let's hurry." The both disappeared, one going to the left, and one to the right. They couldn't waste any time. She was, as Unohana stated, not fully healed. Who knows how she is now? Ukitake reappeared deeper into the forest, and looked around. "Ryoko! Ryoko!" He yelled out. He looked up at the sky and frowned as he started to get really hot. This wasn't good. He was running too much and barely rested the night before. The sick Captain was about to walk away when he heard something… He quickly ran to where the sound was coming from, and then stopped dead in his tracks. It was Ryoko.

-RYOKO (3 minutes earlier)-

Ryoko felt herself being picked up. Her eyes were closed, and she felt her throat still burning, but not as much as before. However, the pain in her leg was gone, which she was happy about. She opened her right eye slightly, her eyelids still heavy. Her vision was slightly blurry, but it subsided, and showed a man with slick brown hair and glasses looking down at her. She was surprised, and nearly jumped out of his grip, but he held her firmly.

"Are you alright?" He said, looking worried. "I'm not very good at healing, but I at least made the pain go away."

Ryoko stared at the man. "W-who…" Her throat was still burning, so she couldn't say much.

The man smiled kindly. "My name is Sosuke Aizen. You shouldn't move too much, or else your leg will start hurting." She nodded, and he continued. "Two captains are on their way here. They'll take care of you." He sat the girl down against a tree and put the sword next to her. He stood up and stared at the sword for a moment before turning. "Come visit me by my barracks. I'd love to chat with you." He said, before disappearing. Ryoko closed her eyes and drifted once more.

-NOW-

Ukitake ran over to the collapsed girl and picked her up in his arms. She seemed fine, but he could tell she was still hurting. The captain sighed. "You shouldn't run off like that, kid." As he said that, his spiritual pressure spiked, letting Unohana know he found her. Ukitake moves a few hairs from the child's head, then turned to the sword. It had a dim blue glow to it, and he swore he saw it rumbling. He quickly turned to see the female Captain appear and walk over to them.

"Is she alright?" She said, feeling the girl's forehead.

"Yes." He nodded. "From what I could tell, she's fine. Her leg seems to be in bad shape, but it looks as though it's ben healed."

"Strange… Maybe that Spiritual Pressure before belonged to the one who took care of her." She said.

"I hope so."

Ukitake stood and handed the girl to Unohana, and his eyes rested on the blade once more. Unohana soon followed his gaze.

"That sword…"

"No doubt about it, it's a zanpakuto."

"But why would one be here?"

"I do not know, but it's most likely belonging to Ryoko." She signed and started toward the edge of the Hill. "I will return her to the infirmary. Please put the sword somewhere safe." With that, the Squad 4 Captain disappeared.

Ukitake frowned at the sword. "Easier said than done…" The sword had a strange power inside it. It was a Soul Reaper, yet it also wasn't. What the hell was going on? the man was hesitant, but then after a minute reached for the sword and grabbed it. The sword immediately burst into blue flames, burning the mans hand. "GAH!" He screamed, jumping away from the sword and gripping his hand in pain. The blue fire had singed him pretty badly, leaving most of his hand with third-degree burns. He turned to the sword, his eyes wide. This sword had power, no doubt. But why would it attack him?

-MEANWHILE-

Aizen sat in his Captain's room, his eyes closed in thought. He heard a couple footsteps and opened his eyes slightly. "Is there something you wanted… Gin?"

Said Captain smiled at Aizen. "I heard you had an encounter with that girl."

"Ah yes…" Aizen said, turning to Gin. "I must say, that girl is very interesting indeed."

Gin frowned. "You aren't going to… She's just a child."

"That has never stopped us before. And don't worry. We still have to wait until the opportune moment." He smirked. He knew Gin was going to go with him on this even when he protested.

-SQUAD 4-

Unohana looked at the unconscious Ryoko as she healed her throat. The poor girl still had a hurt leg, but she needed to heal it with time. It was obvious she wasn't going to train with Ukitake until it was healed, but it wouldn't take too long. She started to wonder about the sword. As she was leaving the hill, she felt a strange Spiritual Pressure rise for a brief moment, but it wasn't Ukitake's. Was it the zanpakuto? Impossible. Even if it was Ryoko's, it shouldn't have a spirit that powerful yet, if at all.

_**Ryoko… **_A dark, yet soft voice rang through Ryoko's head, but she had a hard time hearing it.

_Who's there?_

_**Ryoko, call my name. Get me out of here and save me!**_

_You… are you…_

_**I…y….r…pac….t….**_ Its voice faded.

_W-wait!I_

**Okay! I hope you all liked that! Sorry for the delay, my mom's sis died on my mom's birthday, and we went to the funeral. Then there was the whole school problem… yeah… But anyways! Please make sure to review on what you think about this story! And please no harshness~ Thank you!**


	6. Ryoko's Awake

Chapter Six - Ryoko's Awake

Ryoko opened her eyes and looked around. She was surrounded by blue fire and burning buildings. _This place again…?_ She thought, _But… why am I here? What's going on?_ She started walking through the fire that was somehow not burning her. The embers seemed to be stronger than last time, though right now she had so many questions she couldn't think anything of it. After what seemed like hours, she finally collapsed onto her knees. She looked up at the pitch black sky as tears form in her eyes. _Someone… anyone… get me out of here!_

_**Ryoko…**_

Ryoko froze, her eyes wide. She looked around. _"W-who's there?!"_ She squeaked.

_**Ryoko… **_The voice growled, and it sounded like it was getting closer.

She instantly shot up to her feet and stepped back. She wanted to run. She needed to run. But she couldn't. She looked forward and saw… something. It looked very blurry, and all she could make of it was the coloring… It was white and black, and fire surrounded it, but she couldn't make out the details.

The thing shot toward her, making her scream and shut her eyes tightly.

-SQUAD 4-

Ryoko woke up with a start. She sat up quickly, with her eyes wide.

"It's okay, Ryoko… You're safe here." She turned to see Unohana sitting next to her with a hand on her shoulder. Said Captain frowned. "You shouldn't have run away like that… your wounds didn't heal." Ryoko frowned with tears forming in her eyes. She leaned against Unohana, crying her eyes out. The woman rested a hand on the child's head and held her close, comforting her, when she heard the door open.

"Captain, are you okay?" Her Lieutenant asked, clearly worried.

Unohana nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Isane, send word to the Head Captain and Captain Ukitake that Ryoko's awake."

Isane nodded and left the room, sending hell butterflies to the said Captains.

-SQUAD 1-

A hell butterfly flies through the air and toward the Head Captain's office. It landed on the Captain's shoulder, relaying the message.

"Hmm… I see…" The Head Captain stood up from his chair, gripping his cane. "Time to visit this little girl."

-SQUAD 8-

Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake sit in the Captain's room, drinking sake. Both of them are slightly drunk, although Kyoraku is more drunk than the other.

"So, Ol' man Yama is putting you in charge of the kid… she must be something." Kyoraku said, downing another cup of sake, his face red.

Ukitake nodded, looking down at his cup. "Yes. I'm going to be training her as well. But that will have to wait for at least two months. She's still weak and would need time to recover."

"I suppose that's go be expected. You also need some time to heal." Kyoraku gestures toward Ukitake's hand. Said Captain looked at the bandaged arm, and shudders at the memory of being burned.

"Yeah…" He smiles at Kyoraku. "But I'll be fine. I'm not a Captain for nothing."

"But still—" The Captain was cut off when they saw a Hell Butterfly flutter toward the white-haired man. He outstretched his hand, holding up a finger to let the small insect land. One it did, it relayed the message once again. The sickly Captain's face lit up, getting over his drunkenness quickly. "Something happen, Jushiro?"

"Yes." He answered as he stood, "Ryoko's woken up. I'm going to visit her. Would you like to come along?"

The man waved his hand. "No, no. Go on ahead."

Nodding, Ukitake Flash Stepped out of the Barracks and toward Squad 4.

-SQUAD 4-

Ryoko averted her gaze from the Head Captain's. She was pretty scared of the man which is to be expected. She clenched her hands together in front of her to help her stop shaking. Unohana rested a hand on the young girl's shoulder to help her calm down, which definitely helped. The girl sighed and looked up at Yamamoto. "I-I'm sorry… B-but I can't tell you w-why…" She frowned, looking down once more. "I just remember… I didn't kn-know it was rare…"

The Head Captain looked at her, one eye open just slightly. "I see… Do not think you will be punished. I told you before that I was curious. I do not intend to hurt you just because you remember your past." Ryoko looked up at the man, a slight smile on her face as she relaxed. "Now, about your training—"

They heard a knock on the door, and they turned toward it. Unohana stood and walked over to the door. As she opened it, she smiled. "Why hello there Captain. Come in." She moved to the side to let Ukitake walk in and stand next to Yamamoto. The frail man sighed in relief.

"I was getting worried, you know." He said, looking at Ryoko. She blushed slightly and looked down.

"Sorry…"

He waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. As long as you're safe. I would hate to have your death on my conscience. After all, I'm tasked with taking care of you."

"R-really?"

"Yes," The Head Captain interrupted, "You will be taken care of by Captain Ukitake. I have tasked him with training you and providing you a home to help you." This seemed to brighten up her day, as her face was covered by a smile. She really liked the Captain of Squad 13. He _was_ the one who saved her, after all. And other that Unohana, he's the only one she really knows. "Also…" The two Captains and girl looked at the Head Captain. "I am going to hold a Captain's Meeting once you are fully recovered. I would like to introduce you to the rest of the Captains."

She nodded. "O-okay. Thank you H-Head Captain..!"

He flashed a small smile before turning and walking out, closing the door behind him. As soon as he left, Ukitake fanned himself with his hand.

"It seems the Head Captain's Spiritual Pressure is as hot as ever. I was starting to sweat." He chuckled at his comment.

"What do you mean?" Ryoko asked, her head tilted slightly.

"Hm?" Ukitake turned to her. "I'm saying the Head Captain's Spiritual Pressure is—"

"I know what you said… I'm just wondering why you were sweating."

"You mean you didn't feel that Ryoko?" Unohana said, a few beads of sweat on her face as well, as Ryoko clearly noticed. The young girl shook her head, and both Captains shot each other confused and surprised looks. This girl was even strong than they thought. First her sword, then her enormous Spiritual Pressure, and now the ability to not be affected by Yamamoto's Spiritual Pressure? It was just unheard of, especially coming from a girl who just came to the Soul Society a couple weeks ago.

"Um…" Ryoko started, breaking the silence. "When can I start training?"

"Oh. Well, let's wait until you're well rested and fully healed. Unohana?"

"It will take about two months for her to be healed." _Although with this strange girl, she could be fixed in a matter of weeks…_ Unohana though to herself.

"Alright." Ukitake said, a smile on his face, though Unohana could tell he was thinking the same thing. With that, the frail Captain left.

"Unohana-chan…?" Ryoko said, getting Unohana's attention. "Where did that sword go?"

"Hm? Oh that. Is it yours?"

Three minutes of silence came after that. Ryoko didn't know what to say, and Unohana patiently waited. After three minutes, Unohana was about to leave when…

"Yes…"

Unohana looked at Ryoko, a slightly shocked look across her face. "It is?"

She nodded. "I think so. I keep hearing this voice in my head whenever I'm asleep. And I dream of being in this place surrounded by fire and burning houses… The fire was blue, too."

Unohana's eyes widened at this. She knew exactly what it was: a zanpakuto inside her inner world. Looks like another thing to tell the visiting Captains. She decided to ask. "Ryoko, this voice you hear. What does it say?"

"Well, i-it told me to call out its name… and save it. It also tried to tell me something else, but I couldn't hear it. Why? Is something w-wrong?"

The woman shook her head. "No, of course not. But this voice you hear, it's a very special voice. One only you can hear."

"But I can barely hear it at all!" She argued, only to have Unohana hold up a hand.

"I understand that. It will tell you to say its name, but the only way you can hear its name is if it deems you ready."

"Ready for what?"

"To wield it. That voice, Ryoko, is from the sword we found with you. It is your zanpakuto, a part of your soul."

"My soul?"

"Yes. Usually you'll get one when you become a Soul Reaper, but you're different… It just happened to bring you to the Sokyoku Hill. But I do not understand why it was there to begin with."

"Maybe," Ryoko started, looking down. She though of the man that came to her that day. "Maybe it was that man…"

"What man, Ryoko?"

"His name was So…So…So-su-ke, I think…" She sighed to herself, hating all these names and their pronunciations. "He helped me before you came."

"I see. Though I wonder why he went there in the first place, I'm glad he helped you." Unohana stated as she stood. "Now get some rest, okay?"

Ryoko nodded then laid down, closing her eyes.

_**SO! This chapter is (hopefully) longer than the others. The next chapter will have a time-skip so they can have the meeting and start training! Please review this if you have any ideas and I MIGHT just use them! ^^ Thank you all for reading this. Also, I know that this chapter kinda marks Ryoko as a "god mod" type character, but trust me, she won't be… yet. What? Anyway, I hope the next chapter will be up quicker than this one was. See ya~!**_


	7. Meeting the Gotei 13!

Chapter Seven - Meeting the Gotei 13!

_Two and a half months later_

Sunlight leaks through the window in Ryoko's room, waking her up. She yawns and stretches her arms as she sits up. "Today's the day I get out of here and meet the captains…" She gulps. Is it bad that she's a little scared? Of course not. After all, she's going to meet the strongest Soul Reapers in the Soul Society. Sighing, she stood up from the bed and got dressed in a usual Soul Reaper outfit. She brushed her long blue hair in the bathroom, then brushed her teeth. When she finished she heard a knock on the door.

"Ryoko, are you ready? The other Captains are waiting on us."

The young girl ran out of the bathroom and opened the door with a big grin, though anyone could tell she was nervous. "Yes Unohana-san." The Captain nodded and started walking, Ryoko not that far behind. The walk from Squad 4 to Squad 1 was very quiet. The intense silence was making Ryoko tense and got her even more nervous. Unohana looked back at the child with a kind and gentle smile on her face.

"Don't worry, Ryoko. The Captains will not harm you. Some will be intimidating, but that's to be expected." She said in hopes of calming the girl down.

Ryoko looked up at the smiling Captain. She took a deep breath and calmed down a bit. "Thank you, Unohana-san."

-SQUAD 1-

All the Captains were lined up in their respective places, with the Head Captain sitting on a chair facing them all. All Captains and lieutenants were there so Ryoko could meet them as well.

"Ooh! I can't wait!" A girl with long, wavy, orange hair exclaimed softly in her Captain's ear. The small boy's eyes narrowed and he glares back at his Lieutenant who was behind him.

"Be Quiet Rangiku." He scolded.

"But Captain~" She whined.

He looked up at the other Captains as one spoke.

"Where is she?" Said a tall man with long, stiff strands of hair shooting backward (shut up I don't know how to explain the damn things XD).

"She'll be here, don't worry. She _did_ just get released, you know." Ukitake explained, earning a slight glare from the tall Captain.

"I'm very intrigued by this little soul. I can't wait to experiment on her!" Another Captain said, this one with blue and white paint over his face and wearing a long white hat. This, of course, gave the captain glares from Ukitake. As he was about to respond to the creepy-ass Captain, the doors to the room opened, allowing light to pass through. Everyone turned to face the two people in the doorway.

"Forgive me, Captain. I did not intend to be late." Unohana smiled.

"It's fine." He replied.

Unohana nodded then walked over to her Lieutenant and stood in front of her, leaving Ryoko standing in front of the now closed doors. The girl looked around at the Captains and Lieutenants, clenching her fists so he wouldn't shake, making her knuckles turn white.

"Child, I am glad you have recovered fully." The Head Captain's voice was sot, slightly shocking the other Captains who did not know her. She nodded, and before she or the Head Captain could speak, the Captain-Scientist stared directly at Ryoko, causing her to take a very small step back.

"Ah, so you're the little wonder everyone's been talking about. When this is all done, I'd love do have some tests done on you." He smirked, causing the girl to become even more scared.

"Kurotsuchi." The small Captain glared at him, getting the attention of Ryoko. "Do not scare her."

"Tch… Don't tell me what to do, brat!"

"Enough!" Yamamoto boomed, making Ryoko jump. "Captain Kurotsuchi, I will not have you touch this girl under any circumstance unless I deem it necessary. Understand?" Kurotsuchi growled, but said nothing. "Now… We will begin with the introductions."

Each Captain and Lieutenant were introduced:

Jushiro Ukitake and Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentaro Kotsubaki.

Retsu Unohana and Isane Kotetsu.

Toshiro Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumoto.

Kenpachi Zaraki and Yachiru Kusajishi.

Byakuya Kuchiki and Renji Abarai.

Shunsui Kyoraku and Nanao Ise.

Sajin Komamura and Iba Tetsuzaemon.

Soi-Fon and Marechiyo Omaeda.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Nemu Kurotsuchi.

Kaname Tosen and Shuhei Hisagi.

Gin Ichimaru and Kira Izuru.

Aizen Sosuke and Momo Hinamori.

Ryoko looked at all of them, bowing to each Captain as they were introduced. However, she didn't look into their eyes. Until the last one. When Aizen was introduced, she looked directly at him, smiling happily. This didn't go unnoticed by Hitsugaya, Unohana, or Ukitake. They shot glances at each other, then they looked toward the Head Captain as he spoke.

"Now that the introductions are done, we shall move on to the subject of your training." He glanced at Ukitake. "You will be taught personally by Captain Ukitake until you are ready to become a Soul Reaper. You are much different than the other Soul Reapers we've encountered. We must have eyes on your at all times." The old man explained.

"Um…" She whispered, not knowing if she was able to speak or not. "I-I can walk around the area… right?"

After a few moments of silence, he nodded. "Yes. But you will have to stay within the Sereitei. You also may go down to the World of the Living if you are accompanied by either a Captain or Lieutenant." Hearing this the girl smiled happily.

"This meeting is dismissed." The man said.

Immediately, Captains Kuchiki, Komamura, and Tosen all left with their Lieutenants with the exception of Renji. The red head walked up to Ryoko and bent down and ruffled her hair. "Hey kid. Good to see you're not dead." She smiled happily.

"Thank you, pineapple-head!" She said that pretty loud, causing Rangiku to start laughing and Renji giving her a death glare. Ryoko then ran over toward Hitsugaya and Rangiku. She looked at the boy who wasn't much taller than her. They stared at each other for a while, before she smiled. "Hitsugaya-san, I like your hair!"

"Hm?" He was a bit shocked by this. He didn't expect her to say anything like that.

"It's like snow! I really liked the snow! It was always really pretty and I would play with my big brother!"

"Uh… Thanks?"

"Ne, ne… Does Taichou have a fangirl?" Rangiku teased, nudging the Captain with her elbow. He turned his head slightly and glared at her, making her shut up. When he looked back at her, she was looking at Rangiku for a moment. Then she turned as Soi-Fon was leaving. She ran up to the woman and tugged at her sleeve.

"Hm? What is it?" She asked, looking at the girl.

"Soi-Fon-san, is it true you're the fastest person here?" She nodded. "Then can you teach me how to be fast like you?"

"Really?"

"Mhm!" She nodded happily. Soi-Fon agreed, then left with her Lieutenant. The only Captains left were Ukitake, Aizen, and Ichimaru. Ichimaru shot a glance at Aizen, who glanced back and nodded, before turning and leaving. Aizen then turned toward Ryoko and walked toward her.

"Hello, Ryoko." He smiled lightly as she turned to face him.

"Aizen-san!" She exclaimed. "Gomenasai, I meant to thank you for helping me that day!"

"Oh, it's fine. Don't worry about it."

She turned to Ukitake who was behind her. "Ukitake-san, can I go over Aizen-san's for a bit before we train? I promised I would!"

Ukitake looked at the two before nodding a few moments later. "Alright." He turned his gaze to Aizen. "Make sure she stays safe. And don't let her out of your sight." Aizen nodded, and Ukitake left.

Ryoko turned to Aizen with a goofy grin. "Yay!"

Then, a girl with black hair tied in a bun walked in. "Aizen-taichou, we should go."

"Ah yes, alright, Momo." He stood straight and walked with Ryoko toward his Lieutenant. The two girls stared at each other before Momo held out her hand.

"Hello, Ryoko. I'm really happy we got to meet each other!" Ryoko took her hand and shook it.

"Me too, Momo-chan!" Their hands dropped to their sides and they all walked to Aizen's Squad.


	8. Trickery

Chapter 8 - Trickery

When Ryoko, Aizen, and Momo reached their Barracks, Momo turned to Ryoko. "Hey Ryoko, I'll show you around. Sound good?" She asked, smiling with her head tilted to the side.

She smiled in return and nodded. "Okay!" She turned to Aizen, who smiled at the two of them.

"Go on, Ryoko. Just be sure to come to my office when you're done, alright?" He said with the same smile on his face. The two girls nodded and walked off, their footsteps slowly getting softer and softer before finally disappearing.

Ryoko looked at her guide with slight confusion as she smiled happily. "Is something wrong, Momo-chan? Why are you staring?" Ryoko asked.

The brown-haired girl snapped out of her trance and smiled nervously.* "G-gomenasai, Ryoko-chan. I was just wondering about something."

"Really? What is it?" The girl tilted her head slightly to the left and raised an eyebrow.

"W-well…" She looked down, a sad expression on her face. "Captain Aizen-sama's been very busy and I'm a bit worried… He's never been so busy before."

"Don't worry, Momo-chan!" Ryoko exclaimed, waving her arms up and down like the child she is. "He'll be able to spend time with you! You're his Lieutenant, right?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Then you're the Number One person he goes to other than Ol' Mustache Man!"

Momo smiled. "Y-yeah. I guess you're— OL' MUSTACHE MAN!?" Momo's eyes widened and she gaped as what Ryoko had called the Head Captain finally sank in. Never in Momo's life had anyone ever given the Head Captain a nickname, especially one like "Ol' Mustache Man". It was just unheard of. Wait until Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake heard about this.

Ryoko just giggled. "Mhm! He's got this reaaaaaaalllly long mustache!" She said as she stretched her hands to show what she meant. Momo blinked at her before shaking he head, getting rid of the shock, before laughing. "Is something wrong, Momo-chan?"

"N-no… It's just… No one… NO ONE has given H-Head Captain a n-nickname." Momo wrapped her arms around her stomach to try and stop it from hurting any more. After a few minutes, she calmed down and wipes the tears from her eyes. "S-sorry."

"It's okay, Momo-chan." Ryoko smiled.

"Good morning Ryoko-chan, Lieutenant Momo." The two mentioned stopped and looked up at Captain Gin Ichimaru.

"Oh, good morning, Captain Ichimaru." Momo said as she quickly bowed in greeting. Ryoko smiled and waved at the snake-like captain.

"Hello Ichi-sama!"

Gin raised an eyebrow, confused. "Ichi-sama?"

"You're last name's too long, and it's not easy to remember." Ryoko explained, then pointed at the captain. "So you're now Ichi-sama! No take-backs!" Gin seemed startled by this, before his smile returned.

"Alright then." Gin smiled and ruffled Ryoko's hair, getting a chuckle in response.

"What are you doing here, Captain Ichimaru?" Momo asked, smiling from their little exchange.

"Ah, I came to see the newest addition to the Gotei 13." He explained. "After all, we'll be working together a lot very soon."

"Huh? But Captain… She's still so young…" Momo frowned. She didn't think this kid would be able to become a Soul Reaper so quickly. Besides, she was so young! It would take hundreds of years for her to become a Soul Reaper.

Gin decided to ignore Momo, and waves at the two girls as he walked by them. "Bye-bye!" He shunpo'd away. Momo frowned.

"What's wrong, Momo-chan?"

"It's nothing…" Momo smiled before turning and once again walking through the area. Momo showed her where all of the squad members slept, where the mess hall was, and the training ground, before finally returning to the Captain's Quarters at sunset.

"Well, we're back. If you have any questions, you can just tell me, okay?"

"Okay, Momo-chan. I will." Ryoko smiled childishly and nodded happily before turning and knocking on the door. After a moment they heard a muffled "Come in". Ryoko waved to Momo and went inside, closing the door behind her. Aizen sat at his table, wiping his sword with a white cloth. His sheath rested on the ground next to him.

"Ah, good to see you have returned, Ryoko." Aizen said softly as he turned to the child, his smile never wavering as she walked up to him, returning the smile. "How was your tour?"

"It was great!" She beamed. "This place is so big! I can't wait to play and to become a strong Soul Reaper like you and Ukitake-sama!" Aizen chuckled. "Huh? What's so funny?"

"You met me not that long ago, yet you consider me strong."

"Are you not strong?"

"I never said I wasn't. I just wasn't expecting the praise."

"Then take it!" Ryoko puffed out her cheeks, then giggled as Aizen ruffled her hair.

"Alright. Now, I hear you're going to become Ukitake's little pupil, right?"

"Mhm!" She nodded quickly. "I can't wait!"

Aizen chuckled at her innocence. Despite her small stature and very young age, she is very powerful. She would blindly agree to anything her friends say, especially those close to her, and would go to the ends of the earth to be with them. He knew just by looking at her that she would turn out like that. She would be a fine Soul Reaper. Despite that, there's something else inside her too. Another power like the Soul Reapers', yet at the same time completely different. Oh, he knew this power. He knew exactly where she came from and about her background since he searched her human life the day they brought her to the Sereitei. There was no mistaking her Spiritual Pressure. And he was no doubt going to take advantage of that. "Ryoko, if you want so badly to become strong, then surely training with just Ukitake would be slow. After all, he has a soft spot for children like you, and would no doubt go easy for a while."

"Huh?" Ryoko blinked, then put on a ridiculous-looking thoughtful face. "I guess so… But I want to become a Soul Reaper quickly! I don't wanna wait to get stronger!" She flailed her arms around in the air.

"Well then, I will train you as well." Ryoko perked up at this, and her eyes widened as a smile covered her face.

"Really?!"

Aizen nodded, but before Ryoko said anything else, he intervened. "However, I do not wish anyone else to know we are training together."

"Huh? Why?"

Now, kids are sometimes easy to fool, sometimes they aren't. And Aizen didn't want any chances. He had to be careful, even if it's just a little kid, he couldn't get anywhere if he made a stupid mistake. "Because Captain Yamamoto didn't want anyone else to train you. Truth be told, he doesn't want you to become too powerful, because if you do become too powerful too quickly, he will think you're dangerous." At Ryoko's shocked silence, he continued. "I, however, think that you have potential. And the Head Captain is just biding his time until he can think of a good reason to be rid of you."

Ryoko stood there in shocked silence, tears forming in her eyes. "S-so… No one wants me here…?" Her voice cracked slightly and a few tears escaped. "E-even… Ukitake-sama?"

Aizen frowned, looking at her sympathetically. "I am sorry, Ryoko. I, however, do want you to use your powers to show them what you can do, as well as Gin and Tousen. As for Ukitake, I do not trust him, but I leave the decision of trusting him to you. If you trust him, then I see no reason to go against him."

Ryoko looked up to the deceitful man, completely oblivious to his actions. "C-Captain… Tousen… a-and… I-Ichi-sama…? Th-they both c-care?" Aizen nodded and Ryoko looked down, tears blurring her vision. "I-I don't think… U-Ukitake-sama i-is mean… like that… Ukitake-sama is my b-best friend…" She looked up at him. "He's n-not like the big mean man!"

Aizen nodded, a smaller smile on his lips. "Alright. Then I will train you to become as strong as them. I will help you in any way I can. But will you allow me to do so?" He held out a hand to her and she hesitated for a moment, before holding hers out as well and shaking his, nodding in agreement. "Good." He wiped her tears. "Do not speak of our agreement with anyone, do you understand?" She nodded. "You will continue to act around all of them as if nothing is wrong." Another nod. "And I will keep the Head Captain and any other Captain from doing you harm." Ryoko nodded one final time, wiping the rest of her tears away as she stands up tall, looking at Aizen with determination.

"Arigato, Aizen-sama." Ryoko said, hugging the Captain, before hearing a worried "Ryoko!" from outside. Her eyes widened and she hesitated, knowing that voice well, before looking at Aizen.

"Do not worry. I promise to keep you safe." He said, reassuring her.

Ryoko nodded and ran up to the door, opened it, and closed it behind her as she ran toward the white-haired sickly Captain. "Ukitake-sama!"

"Ryoko." Ukitake turned toward her and kneeling down to her height. "Where have you been? I told you to be back before the sun set."

"Gomen… I was talking with Aizen-sama."

"What could you have been talking about that would take up the whole day?" He blinked.

"Oh, and I met Momo-chan and went on a tour with her!" She blurted. Ukitake sweatdropped.

"Right. Well, let's go back to the Barracks."

"Okay!" Ryoko smiled, clasping his hand in her small one. "_Continue to act around all of them as if nothing is wrong."_

_I wil, Aizen-sama._

_**I'M SO SORRY! I've had SUCH a writer's block on this stupid story! Anyways, next will be a timeskip. R&R! PLEASE**_


End file.
